


Fever’s Fool

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [63]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-08 23:52:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17990882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: “Carter?”The groggy sound of his voice broke the silence and she turned to look at him while Daniel used the disturbance to quickly disappear outside the tent.





	Fever’s Fool

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day’ (3 March).

Sam pulled the flap of the tent back as Daniel pressed a damp cloth against the colonel’s forehead.

“How’s he doing?”

“Still the same,” he replied, not looking up from his task. “What did Janet say?”

Carefully stepping inside the tent, Sam crouched down at the other side of her commanding officer and let her eyes roam over his face before she answered Daniel.

“She’s happy now that it’s just a fever.” At her friend’s questioning look, she sighed. “Both SG-3 and SG-11 have come down with similar symptoms over the past two days.”

“Wasn’t Jack with SG-3?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “They were training the new recruits earlier this week.”

“So, if it’s just a fever, can we bring him home?”

She shook her head. “No. Whilst Janet’s ruled out the possibility of an alien infection, the colonel’s temperature is still too high. He needs rest in order to fight whatever this is. We can’t risk moving him until it starts to come down.”

“How long is that going to take?”

“Hopefully, sometime within the next few hours.”

Daniel sighed softly and Sam gave him a sympathetic smile. She could understand his frustration and disappointment at the situation. The team had gated to PXY-572 four days ago for a routine exploratory mission. The planet was uninhabited, but initial readings from the planet had indicated the presence of naquadah in the soil, so SG-1 had been assigned to find out more. However, during the first night of their stay, the colonel had started to fall ill. He had made a throwaway comment about a headache, which wasn’t really like him, and then a high temperature and confusion as to where he was or what has happening, had soon followed.

The rest of the team had dialled home as soon as they realized something was wrong, but until they could rule out any potential alien illnesses, they’d been forced to stay on the planet, and abandon their original mission objective, as they took it in turns to keep an eye on their leader’s condition, and report back regularly to the SGC and Doctor Fraiser.

“So... we’re stuck here for another night?”

“Yes. Do you want to tell Teal’c and I’ll take over here?”

Silently, Daniel handed her the cloth as he made his way towards the entrance of the tent to find their other teammate, but just before he stepped outside, he turned back to Sam.

“He’s – ah – been asking questions again.”

“What was it this time?”

“Oh, you know,” he suddenly grinned. “Why is the sky blue? How long do fish wait to swim after they eat? And – my personal favorite – why don’t cats and dogs have opposable thumbs?”

Sam released a long breath but couldn’t quite hide her own amusement. Her CO had been saying some pretty random things thanks to his fever.

“Carter?”

The groggy sound of his voice broke the silence and she turned to look at him while Daniel used the disturbance to quickly disappear outside the tent.

“Yes, sir,” she said as she pressed a fresh, damp cloth against his skin.

“It’s cold.”

“I know, sir, but we need to keep you cool for a little longer.”

“M’fine.”

She placed a hand on his arm and gave him a light squeeze. “I know,” she appeased. “Go back to sleep.”

“Not tired.”

Sam bit back a grin at the sight before her. The colonel was already halfway to unconsciousness again, when his eyes suddenly snapped open but when Sam looked closer, she could see his eyes were glassy.

“Carter? That you?”

“Yeah,” she answered softly.

“Why do people say ‘sleep like a baby’ when babies only sleep for like, two hours at a time?”

“I – uh –” She wondered, briefly, about explaining the saying but quickly realized she’d be wasting her time, so she decided to be honest.

It wasn’t like he was going to remember in the morning anyway. “I think you need to give that brain of yours a rest, sir.”

“It hurts,” he mumbled after a few moments. “Feels like Road Runner’s having a party... in m’head.”

Instinctively, Sam reached out and let her thumb gently smooth the frown that had appeared between his eyebrows.

“S’nice.”

She smiled softly at the colonel’s slurred confession, and decided to risk letting her thumb trace lightly over his brow and down his cheek. “That’s good. Now rest, sir. That’s an order.”

Sam continued to watch as his breathing started to even out, her hand returning to his forehead, but just when she thought he’d fallen asleep again, he stirred slightly.

“Carter?”

She bit back a sigh. She _really_ needed him to rest. “Yes, sir?”

“Do you think cats and dogs should have opposable thumbs?”

**Author's Note:**

> March is not giving me an easy time where these holidays are concerned... 😫


End file.
